


Chance and Talent

by SugahnSpyce



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Bounty Hunters, Cigarettes, Fight me on that, Flamethrowers and Jetpacks, Gen, Jango and Boba are Mandalorians, Kidnapping, Sabacc (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28791285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugahnSpyce/pseuds/SugahnSpyce
Summary: Jango is hired to do a job but his new crewmates take his son as a bargaining chip.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Chance and Talent

**Author's Note:**

> translations at the end

Jango exhaled a stream of smoke, glancing at his cards casually. “And I’ll take my cut in advance.”

Across the table, Vugt Kearrise, a Bothan, smirked. “That’s not how this works. Besides, if you’re as good as they say, you shouldn’t have any doubts the job will be finished. That’s when you’ll get your money. When it’s done. Not before.”

“If I wasn’t as good as they say, you wouldn’t have hired me.” He flipped his cards face up on the tabletop. 

The Ithorian in the seat beside him cursed and threw her cards down, grudgingly shoving her bet at Jango. None of the other players challenged the bounty hunter’s hand so Jango scooped the pot toward himself. 

A Weequay, Lagar, leaned over to Vugt. “Are you sure we need him? What can he do that we can’t?” 

Jango took another drag from his cigarette. “Bombing of Rahdham Heights. Assasination of Viceroy Cencelt. The Shrine of Eldal’nuk. You heard of ‘em?”

Lagar nodded. 

“Those were mine.”

Lagar sank down in his seat. Vugt laughed and dealt a fresh hand. 

“Alright. So we split it five ways and the Mandalorian gets half in advance. Best I can do," Vugt offered. Jango inclined his head to accept. "Although, by the looks of things," Vugt gestured to the growing mound of credits in front of Jango, "you might make double the entire pay off in this game alone.”

“Luck must be on my side tonight,” Jango said, evaluating his new cards. 

A Balosar circled around the table and Jango quickly laid his hand down flat. With a twitch of his antennas, the man moved on. Jango shook his head. Damn tutei. Always trying to make a quick credit by spying on players' hands and selling the info to any willing to buy. No sabacc table was without them but that didn’t mean Jango was going to let them get what they wanted from him.

Under the table, Lagar kicked the female Lasat in the chair next to him. She glared at him. He jerked his head in Jango’s direction. Kava rolled her eyes before pushing away from the table and slinking over to Jango. Draping herself over his back, she slid her hands down his chestplate and caught his earlobe between her teeth. He merely raised his cigarette to his mouth but she intercepted it, taking a drag from it before giving it back. 

“So…” Her mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ to let the smoke curl upward as she pressed herself closer against his back. “What’re the odds you’re going to win every round tonight?” When he gave her no answer, she threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. “What’s your secret, hm? Card counting?”

Jango’s attention was on the next card Vugt turned over. “Sweetheart, sabacc is all about chance, and the ability to recognize when your fortune’s run out. A talent your friend doesn’t seem to possess.” He jerked his chin to Lagar’s smug smile. Jango revealed his cards, beating out the younger bounty hunter's hand.

Lagar gnashed his teeth and signaled for another drink. Kava slowly withdrew her hands, grimacing at Jango behind his back before smoothing her face into indifference when she went back to her own seat. 

“I gotta say, Fett, I ain’t never seen anyone win like you’re winning tonight,” Vugt said. 

“It might be more of a fair fight if I actually had some competition,” Jango said. 

Lagar bristled and the Ithorian leaped to her feet. 

“Hey, hey. Everybody just calm down now. I’m sure we can find someone in here who’ll give you a good game.” Vugt turned to address the crowd that had gathered to watch the match. “Any takers?” 

The onlookers shuffled nervously, many going back to their drinks to avoid the question. Jango took a drag, blew the smoke out through his nostrils. 

“Come on. Look, there’s a good bit of money to be made,” Vugt cajoled. “And no one plays a perfect sabacc game. His luck is bound to run out at some point.”

A large Trandoshan stepped forward. “Deal me in.”

Others followed his example. A droid, a Twi’lek, and a human all took their seats. The Ithorian made a noise of disgust and went across the room to settle her tab. 

The Trandoshan leaned forward, settling his elbows on the table and swinging his big head around to stare at Jango. “Name’s Hskit. I been watching you. You’re not half bad. But when you play me, you have to be the best.”

Jango clamped his cigarette between his teeth, grinning around it as he tossed his ante to the middle. The other players added theirs and Vugt began dealing the cards. He paused when he got to Lagar. 

“Are you sure?”

“I’m good for it.” 

Vugt didn’t pass him a card. 

“Come on, you’ve known me for years.”

“That’s why I’m hesitating,” Vugt muttered before finally giving in.

Once the cards were dealt, the game began in earnest. Fresh players meant fresh money. The first round went to Vugt, though the payout wasn’t large. Many players used the first round to feel out their opponents, watch for tells. Most used only modest bets in the opening hand. But as the game progressed, the bets grew larger and the stakes went higher. Jango and Hskit were clearly the most experienced players and bided their time, playing conservatively as the other players dropped out one by one. With stacks of money in front of them, and an even bigger pot still on the table, the two squared off for the final round. Vugt turned over one of the remaining cards on the table. 

Hskit narrowed his eyes at Jango. “Action’s on you.” 

Jango barely acknowledged him, deliberating on his next move. Vugt cleared his throat. Around them, the crowd murmured their expectations and guesses of the outcome. 

Jango knocked his knuckles on the table, a sign he would make no further play on his hand. Hskit countered with a call. 

“Straight staves.” Jango flipped his cards over. 

Hskit’s tongue darted out between his teeth in an angry hiss. “That’s impossible.”

“What makes you say that? Could it be that you and your pals were trying to cheat?” 

Hskit’s eyes flicked to Lagar and Kava. 

Vugt frowned. “That’s a serious accusation, Fett. You really want to get into that now?”

“What I want is for him to pay up.”

Hskit’s hand twitched toward the rifle on his back. Jango’s hand ghosted over the pistol on his belt. The area around the sabacc table fell silent. 

“What’s it going to be?” Jango murmured. 

Hskit swallowed. 

A voice from the front area of the cantina broke the tension. “Hey! Stop! You’re not allowed back there!” 

The ragged curtain separating the gambling tables from the bar trembled and then spat out a bundle of brown curls and knobby knees. 

Jango’s head whipped around. “Boba?” 

Caught off guard, the spectators moved aside, allowing a path for the boy. Expression eager and full of mischief, he went directly to his father’s side. Jango extinguished his cigarette, freeing his hand to seize Boba’s elbow. 

“What are you doing here? I told you to wait on the ship.” Boba wilted under his harsh tone, head lowering and gaze dropping to the ground. “What were you thinking coming in here?”

The overweight bartender burst into the room, wheezing and sweating lightly. 

“Sorry, boss. I tried to stop him.”

Vugt sighed. “Evaded you, did he?” 

The bartender nodded enthusiastically. 

After rolling his eyes, Vugt turned to Jango. “Pem means well but he’s ineffective. Still, no harm done. I can have Kava escort him back to your ship while you finish your game.”

“No.”

Surprised, Boba glanced up, hope blossoming in his eyes.

“No?” Vugt cocked his head. “But he can’t stay. No children allowed. It’s just policy.”

Jango leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Either he stays, or we both leave. And if that happens, you can kiss your payout goodbye because you know there’s no way you’re getting the job done without me.” 

All eyes turned to Vugt. He huffed a laugh. “Alright. You win, Fett. The kid stays.” 

Boba beamed up at his dad. Jango arched a brow at him. 

“Just don’t come crying to me when he gets corrupted by the bad company,” Vugt ribbed. “Alright, Hskit, let’s settle out and start a new game.”

The earlier tension having been broken, Hskit reluctantly counted out the credits he owed. 

“Here, son,” Jango pushed his chair a few inches back from the table, making enough room to sit Boba on his lap. “Watch your old man whoop some ass in this game.” 

Two players from the previous game left, new ones taking their place. Vugt shuffled the deck. 

“You remember how to play?” Jango asked Boba. 

Boba shook his head, curls tickling at Jango’s chin. 

“Alright. You just listen to me. Here comes the first deal.” 

As the game began, Jango murmured quietly to his son in Mando’a, explaining the rules, how to place bets, which tells to watch for, various strategies, the best action to take given certain hands. Boba listened with rapt attention, eyes wide, taking it all in. After a while, Jango felt his son begin to sag against his chest. At the conclusion of the round, Jango quietly folded, gathering his winnings and his son. Boba roused, blinking sluggishly as Jango set him on his feet. 

“Come on. Time to get some sleep. Big day tomorrow,” Jango coaxed, using a hand on his shoulder to guide him through the cantina. 

On board the Slave I, Jango sent Boba his bunk. But Boba seemed to have gotten a second wind, bouncing around at Jango’s side as the bounty hunter put away the night’s earnings, took off a few pieces of armor, and generally prepared for bed. 

“Dad, that was awesome! The way you got all that money! You beat those losers, every time!”

“Not every time. There’s no such thing as a perfect sabacc game. Get ready for bed.” 

“When I grow up, I’m going to play sabacc and I’m going to win!” 

Jango rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Boba, I’m not asking again.”

“I’ll go to every spaceport on every planet and win a thousand credits every night! I’m going to be rich! I’ll be so rich, I could buy my own planet!”

“Stop that nonsense!” Jango barked. “You will do no such thing. You weren’t even supposed to leave the ship tonight. Can’t you just do as you’re told? Get in your bunk. Shut   
your mouth and shut your eyes.” 

Hurt flashed over Boba’s face before he spun on his heel and raced to his bed. He tossed himself into it, immediately pulling the blanket up and over his head. Jango watched, regret tugging at him. But the lure of sleep was stronger and he laid down in his own bunk, letting it take him. 

\---

“You stay in the ship, you hear me?” Jango fastened his vambrace. 

Boba sullenly watched him. 

Jango looked up from his armor. “Hey. You hear me, son? You stay here or there will be hell to pay when I get back.”

“Elek, buir,” Boba mumbled, looking away. 

“Mind the comms. I’ll message if I don’t make it back by nightfall.” As he walked past him, Jango reached out a hand to ruffle Boba’s hair. Boba didn’t see him coming and flinched slightly. Though the motion was subtle, Jango noticed and dropped his hand without making contact. He went down the ramp and activated his jetpack, flying to the rendezvous point. 

When he was gone, Boba went back to his bunk and took out a box of mechanical scraps. He messed with some circuitry for a while, testing various connections, seeing what he could get to work. If he was ever going to build his own droid, he would need more parts. But this was good practice. After zapping his fingertips for the third time, he decided it was time to put it away. Then he got out the datapad Taun We had insisted he bring. She thought he was using it for schoolwork. She didn’t know how to work it like he did.

After the charge ran out, Boba put the pad up and got himself a snack. Saving a few bites, he opened the ramp and set out to hunt small critters. The crumbs from his snack made excellent bait as he scoured the ground. He never strayed farther than the shadow cast by his father’s ship. He hadn’t forgotten his dad’s anger from the previous night, and had no desire to see it reappear. Nine crickets, three worms, and a rodent later, Boba got back into the ship. He went to the cockpit and climbed into the pilot’s chair. He flicked a switch and static filled the air. After adjusting some knobs, voices began filtering in. The Slave I’s scanners were able to pick up a variety of comm signals and Boba idly cycled through them. Until a familiar voice made him pause. It was Lagar, the Weeguay from the cantina. The one working the job with his dad. 

“-a problem. Vugt hired another. A Mandalorian. ‘S gonna make it karking harder. You’ll have to pay extra. Double the price.”

A deep, throaty laugh boomed across the line. Boba only knew one species with a voice like that. A Hutt. 

“Kill him and you’ll get triple.”

“Consider it done, boss.” 

Static took over when the communications line went dead. Boba sat in stunned silence for a moment. Lagar was going to doublecross his dad. More than that, he was planning to kill him! 

Boba sprang into action. He hurriedly typed in his father’s frequency. But he received no reply. Panic swept over him until he reminded himself Lagar had only just received the offer. He couldn’t have killed Jango yet. There were a number of reasons his dad would be unable to answer, the most likely one being that whatever he was doing at the moment required stealth. Who else could he call? He had Vugt’s frequency but at the moment, he didn’t know if he could trust him. Lagar sounded unhappy Vugt had hired Jango but that didn’t mean Vugt didn’t have plans of his own. Maybe that was the reason he had hired him in the first place. It wasn’t unheard of for bounties to be put out on bounty hunters. A rival, an ex-lover, sometimes even a target (if they were brought in alive). No, Boba couldn’t count on Vugt. He could try to leave a message for his dad. But maybe he wouldn’t get it in time. Maybe it would be too late. Maybe his dad was going to die and there was nothing Boba could do to stop it from happening. 

No. He was a Mandalorian, like his father. Mandalorians weren’t helpless. They were strong, and brave, and they fought for their families. Boba wasn’t going to wait around for some bastard to shoot his father in the back. He was going to save him. As he tossed on his cape and strapped his knife to his belt, he formulated his plan. He would find a speeder, catch up with the bounty hunters, and stop Lagar from killing his dad. It was easy. He could do it. 

Feeling confident, Boba sprinted down the ramp. The sun was past its zenith, already heading toward the horizon. He glanced up at it with slight apprehension. If it set before he found a city or village or farmer willing to lend him a speeder, his quest would be a whole lot harder. The thought made him keep a brisk pace. Every now and then, he would try his dad’s comm again. It was discouraging to hear static in response but he wasn’t going to give up. 

An hour or so later, the Slave I far behind him, Boba saw his first sign of hope. A shack sat atop the hill in front of him. Reinvigorated, Boba raced up the slope. It was a primitive building, made of wood and without any form of electricity. He reached the door and rapped loudly on it. No one answered. He knocked again, waited a moment, and then circled the little house. There was only one door but the sides had windows and he stepped up on his tiptoes to peer in. The inside was bare, save for a couple of crates. Something purple caught the corner of Boba’s eye. He pressed himself closer to the glass, only to realize that whatever it was wasn’t inside. It was the reflection of something behind him. He whipped around in time to see the bag coming down over his head. 

\---

Lagar burst into the room. “Kava! Kava! The Hutts want to change the terms of the deal. They’ve offered triple for Fett’s head.”

Kava rolled her eyes. “That’s never going to happen.”

“What do you mean? We should take it. It’ll be enough to cover our debts and more!”

“Have you ever killed a Mandalorian before? Or even heard of anyone who has?” 

Lagar’s enthusiasm dimmed. 

“Besides,” Kava lifted a shoulder causally. “Fett’s on to us.”

“What? How?” 

Kava fiddled with her blaster. “I may have killed Vugt.”

“Kava! Why would you do that? That wasn’t part of the plan.”

“I know, I know, but, baby, he was asking too many questions. I panicked.”

Lagar frowned. “You did this in front of Fett?” 

“Give me a little credit.” Kava pouted. “Fett was in the compound. But he was faster than I thought he’d be. He came back before I had a chance to hide the body.” 

“What’d you do?” 

“Told him the guards had found us. That threw him off the trail for a bit but I knew it wouldn’t fool him for long. I split as soon as I could, came back here.”

Lagar squinted. “If you’re so sure Fett’s after you, why aren’t you acting freaked? We have no cargo, no bounty, no safe place to hide from him or the Hutts. This is a shit situation.”

Kava laid her palm against his cheek. “Don’t worry, babe. I’m going to fix everything.”

“How?” Lagar crossed his arms. 

Kava lifted the lid of a nearby crate, grinning. “I’ve got Fett’s brat.”

\---

Twilight was falling as Lagar and Kava put their plan into action. Lagar stepped outside with his comlink while Kava secured Boba’s hands and tightened the gag in his mouth. He glared at her over it but all she did was smile at him as if he were no more threatening than a tooka kitten. Tied up like this, he actually was as helpless as a tooka kitten. Kava had even taken his knife. Lagar stuck his head inside and gave Kava some kind of signal. 

“Alright, move.” Kava pushed Boba out the door. 

A few stars slowly peeked through the darkening sky. Lagar paced, flattening a path in the grass. 

“What if this doesn’t work?” he asked. 

“It’s going to work,” Kava snapped. 

A moment later, the growl of a landspeeder interrupted the cricket song. Jango brought it to a stop and jumped out. Lagar drew his blaster, leveling it at the bounty hunter. Kava tightened her hold on Boba’s arms, positioning him firmly between herself and Jango. Jango lifted his arms, showing his empty hands. 

“As you can see, we have your son, just like I said.” Lagar gestured at Boba with the blaster. “Found him out wandering in the wild. You’re lucky we found him before some animal snatched him up for dinner.”

Jango paused, stiffening, face hidden beneath his helmet. 

“Now, let’s be reasonable. No one has to get hurt here,” Lagar continued. “You hand the shipment over to us and we let the kid go.”

“After we get our money,” Kava cut in. “We take him with us to ensure you don’t blast us out of the sky. We’ll send you the coordinates once we leave the system. Then you can come collect him.”

“You’ve gotta be out of your godsdamned minds if you think I’m going to just let you take my son.” Jango took a threatening step closer. 

“Ah uh. That’s far enough!” Kava flashed Boba’s confiscated knife, bringing it dangerously close to his throat. 

Jango froze. 

Boba stared fearfully into the helmet’s empty faceplate, wishing he could see his dad’s eyes. 

“Why didn’t you stay on the ship?” Jango hissed. 

Tears threatened. Boba swallowed them down. 

“So what do you say, Fett? We got a deal or not?” Kava prodded. 

Jango’s hands curled into fists before he released them, shoulders dropping the littlest bit. 

Emboldened by that, Lagar shook his blaster at the Mandalorian. “The cargo. Bring it here.” 

Jango walked over to the speeder and pointed to the multiple crates stacked in the back. 

“This is it.” 

“Check it,” Kava said. 

Lagar cracked open the one on top and peered at the contents. “It’s all here.”

Jango slammed Lagar’s head into the box. The pirate slumped. Kava called out to him. Jango activated his jetpack, flying toward Kava. He launched his whipcord, tangling it around her wrist. It caught and he made an abrupt turn in midair, wrenching her arm. She screamed, dropping the knife as she was pulled off her feet. 

A blaster bolt glanced off the piece of armor covering Jango’s stomach. He severed the whipcord and spun around to face Lagar, who was already firing again. 

“Get down, Boba!” 

Boba scrambled for cover, crouching behind the corner of the shack. He risked poking his head out to watch the fight. 

Jango drew his twin blasters, sending a volley at Lagar. Lagar jumped behind the speeder. Kava regained her feet and began firing her own weapons. Jango jetted higher, circling around the building. He succeeded in drawing Lagar out from his shelter. Jango fired a missile from his knee. It struck the ground close to Kava, knocking her off her feet and throwing her through the shack’s open door. Lagar shouted an obscenity and fired wildly at Jango. Jango dived down suddenly. Lagar spun around to face him and Jango kicked him in the chest, sending him into the house as well. Before either of his opponents could recover, Jango grabbed the abandoned length of whipcord and used it to tie the door to the window, making it impossible to open. 

“Move, son!” he yelled. 

Boba jumped up and raced behind his dad. Jango ignited the flamethrower on his gauntlet, aiming it straight ahead. The wooden house caught flame immediately. Huge tongues of fire leaped up, contrasting with the now black sky. Something inside the shack exploded, spraying the area with flaming debris. A piece landed on the speeder, fire greedily licking at the cargo containers. 

“Dad!”   
Boba ran toward it. This job had already gone so wrong, Boba didn’t want his dad to lose his way to get paid. Or worse, to lose his reputation. Before Boba had taken more than a few steps, the ground abruptly dropped away from under him. Wind rushed past his face. His father’s arms were wrapped around his chest, the familiar noise of the jetpack roaring in his ears. A second explosion blew heat his way. Boba cringed but was soon whisked away from the fire. In almost no time at all, the Slave I came into view and then they were landing. As soon as they both had their feet on the ground, Jango grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around to face him. 

“What were you thinking? Were you trying to get us both killed?” Jango shook him roughly. “You think this is some kind of a game?”

The urge to cry returned and this time, Boba was too exhausted to fight it. A couple of tears snaked down his cheeks. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Why won’t you listen to me, huh? I gave you one order. One simple order and you couldn’t even follow it!” 

“But I thought-” Boba started. 

“No! No excuses! I don’t want to hear it. I’m getting real tired of your shit, Boba. I can’t keep having these conversations with you. When I take you with me, I damn well expect you to do what I say. If I can’t trust you to do that, maybe it’s time you stay home. Perhaps Taun We was right after all.”

Panic stabbed through Boba’s chest. “No, Dad, please! Don’t make me stay behind. I thought you needed my help. I was going to stay here, I was. But then I heard Lagar and I had to warn you. I just wanted to help. Don’t put me with the others. Don’t make me stay on Kamino. I belong out here with you! Gedet'ye, buir.” 

Jango slowly released him. Boba strained to look for any sign of emotion but the helmet kept his father’s expression a mystery. 

“Get on board.” Jango’s tone was empty. “We have a stop to make.”

Stomach clenching, Boba hung his head and did as he was told. Rather than join his dad in the cockpit, he went to his bunk and laid on top of the mattress for the duration of the journey, staring up at the ceiling until he heard the engines powering down. There came the sound of his father moving around in the cargo hold, then the ramp opened. Boba waited a minute before crawling out of his bed and sneaking over to the ramp. Keeping himself to the shadows, he watched as his father moved an anti-grav sled to a waiting Weequay. 

“Ah, Jango, my friend!” The Weequay raised a bottle of alcohol. “You made it!” He moved forward and inspected the bundles tied to the sled. “And with all the cargo too.”

“Most of it,” Jango corrected. “I think you’ll find it’s off by a hundred ket or so.”

“Do I want to know?” 

Jango shrugged. “It won’t affect your profit too much, will it, Ohnaka?”

Ohnaka made several tutting noises with his tongue. “No, no. All is well. This is more than my crews usually return with. Speaking of which, where are they?” 

“Do you want to know?” Jango parroted back to him. 

Ohnaka shook a finger at him. “Oh ho ho, you really are ruthless, aren’t you? As my dear old mother always used to say, dividing by one is not math at all. The full reward is yours.” Ohnaka gave a signal and one of his men passed Jango a case. 

“I am sorry about Kearrise,” Jango said sincerely as he accepted the case. 

“Ah yes. He will be missed in my operation.” Ohnaka’s face fell before he grinned broadly. “But that’s just business. I look forward to working with you again, Jango.” 

Jango inclined his head and Boba didn’t wait any longer before scampering back to his bed. He expected the engines to power up at any moment but they didn’t. Instead, the door to the sleeping quarters slid open. Boba lifted his head. His father stood in the doorway, still in armor. Boba braced himself for whatever his father might have to say. 

“Are you hungry? Ohnaka’s invited us to stay. I don’t know what his idea of breakfast is but it’s probably better than anything I’ve got on board.”

Boba blinked. Out of all the possible things he had expected his dad to talk about, eating wasn’t one of them. 

When he received no response, Jango sighed and came into the room. He took a seat on the edge of Boba’s bed. The boy sat up and stared at him. Jango looked down at his hands. 

“You know, I’m not very good at this…” he took a deep breath. “Look, kid, I had some time to think about...what happened. What I said.”

Boba flinched. “I know, Dad. It’s okay. I know you’re mad at me. And with good reason. You’re right. I never listen. I almost cost you this job. I almost got you killed.” He winced as he said it. “I’m not ready. I’ll stay home next time. I won’t even ask to come with you. I won’t bother you ever again. I promise.” His breathing increased as he worked himself up over the prospect.

Jango quickly removed his helmet, setting it aside before taking Boba’s wrist. “Slow down, son. Udesiir. No one is getting left behind.” 

“What?” Boba’s arm trembled slightly in his grip. “What do you mean? I thought…”

“Boba, I’m not angry with you.” It tugged at Jango’s heart to see the relief on his son’s face when he said those words. 

“You’re not?”

“No. No, of course not! In fact, I’m proud of you.”

Boba sniffled. “But I didn’t listen to you. I let myself get captured.”

Jango made a dismissive noise. “You were doing what you thought was right. And it wasn’t your fault. Kava took you. And you know what? You were very brave. I’ve known grown men who peed their pants when someone held a knife to their throats. But you never panicked. You listened to me when it counted and we both got out of there alive. I could never be mad about that.”

“But you were yelling,” Boba pointed out. 

Jango inhaled sharply, glancing away before meeting Boba’s eyes. “You want to know why I was shouting?” 

Boba nodded. 

“It’s because I was scared.”

“I didn’t think you ever got scared.”

Jango dipped his head down. “Oh yes. Especially when it comes to you. That’s why I have the rules I do. To keep you safe.” He moved his fingers up to press on Boba’s palm. “Do you understand?” 

Boba tugged his hand away to lean forward and wrap his arms around his dad’s middle. Jango returned the hug, laying his cheek on Boba’s hair. 

“Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum.”

After a moment, Jango gently pulled away. Boba gave him a shy smile. 

“So you’re going to listen to me from now on, right?” 

“I will, Dad.”

Jango patted his son’s knee. “Good. Now get some sleep. You’ve got class when we get back home.”

Boba groaned, sliding under the covers. 

“You thought I’d forgotten, didn’t you?” Jango chuckled. “I’m sure you’ve had plenty of time to look over the materials.” 

Boba grimaced. “I was just kidnapped. Shouldn’t I get a pass on the assignment?”

“If I were you, I’d keep that to myself. Knowing Taun We, she’d have you write an essay about your experience,” Jango warned with a wink. 

Boba giggled and turned over onto his side, folding his hands under his head. Jango stood and turned out the light.

**Author's Note:**

> tutei - spy  
> elek buir - yeah dad  
> gedet'ye - please  
> udesiir - calm down/relax  
> ni kar'tayl gar darasuum - I love you (lit. I know you forever)


End file.
